Protecting Radiant Garden
by TremorsGirl12
Summary: A young girl is chosen by the Keyblade. She vows to protect her home, no matter what it takes, and she just so happens to have feelings for an afflicted young man with the darkest of pasts. VanitasxOC (reader)


Okay! So I've had this idea in my head for some time now and decided to write it out. This is a VanitasXOC fic, and the OC is meant to be from the reader's point of view. So in game, you know how when you go into an area, enemies spawn. Then, if you leave and return to the same area, the enemies spawn again? That's what *spawned* this idea. Like, how the inhabitants of Radiant Garden deal with it. I hope you enjoy!

oOo

It's 8AM in the morning, and your alarm wakes you from your slumber. You groan, reach for it to shut it off and sigh. Time to wake up. After showering and going through your morning routine, you dress in black shorts and your favorite shirt. You then brush through your midnight blue hair until it shines. Satisfied, you look in the mirror. Time to start the day.

oOo

"Alright guys, listen up!" said Yuffie. "We've got to do something about these Heartless! The daily patrols are getting to be too much."

"If we don't fight them off daily, they'll move into town," Leon said, his arms folded across his chest. "What do you propose we do?"

Your group of friends were gathered in town, discussing the plight of Radiant Garden. Everyone was getting tired of fighting hordes of Heartless that spawned throughout the World every day, but the town security system could only do so much. It also did not extend to everywhere in the World. This left the Keybearers as well as the Restoration Committee to pick up the slack.

"Leon is right," said Sora. "We'll just have to do it this way for now. Don't worry, Yuffie. Sid is working on a better solution."

"Yeah, well, I wouldn't hold my breath. I doubt he'll be done any time soon," muttered Lea.

"You're _such_ a Debbie Downer, Lea," chided Roxas.

"If by that you mean realist, then yes, I am," said Lea.

"Anyway," you say, "Sora is right. It stinks, but we'll just have to deal with it for the time being."

"Right," said Aerith. "So let's divide into teams and scout out the areas the Heartless are seen most. The Dark Depths, the Bailey…there are several others."

"We know where to go," reassured Riku. "We'll get it done."

"Who goes with who?" you ask, already feeling uncomfortable.

"Let's see," said Aerith. "Kairi, you'll go with Sora."

"Right," said Kairi. "We'll scout out the Bailey."

"Be careful," said Aerith, waving as the pair set off. "Lea, I assume you and Roxas will want to go as a team?"

"You got it," said Roxas. "C'mon."

One by one, the teams were assigned. Yuffie set off with Leon. Ventus, Terra and Aqua made another team. Tifa was off running an errand for Merlin, Cloud was a loner. He usually didn't even show up for the meetings. He'd usually set off at dawn on his own patrol area, so having him as a partner wasn't going to happen. All that was left was Riku. You gulped.

"Yuka, you'll be with Riku," Aerith said.

Riku nodded. "Shall we?" he asked, turning towards you.

"Uh, you know, I don't think that's a good idea," you said. "I'll go see if Roxas and Lea need help."

"No, we're stretched thin as it is without having _another_ group of three," Aerith said.

You narrowed your violet eyes at her. "Ven, Terra and Aqua have been separated for over a decade. They deserve to be a team together," you said.

"No, I know. I didn't mean it like that," said Aerith, her hands clasped in front of her. "I know they've been through more than any three people should. I only meant that for safety reasons, no one should patrol alone," she said, gesturing to Riku. "The job also gets done much faster with two people per area."

"Cloud goes off on his own. Riku doesn't need my help. He'll be just fine," you pressed.

"Maybe so, but I'd still feel much better if you had a partner. You've only been wielding your Keyblade for a few weeks and…."

"Yeah, I get it," you said, slightly irritated. "Fine, so I'll find a different partner."

"But Riku is…" Aerith said.

"Look, it's just not a good idea, okay?" you said. "I'll go scout with Vanitas instead!" you blurted. Only after the words had left your lips did you realize how absurd you sounded.

"Vanitas. Are you serious?" Riku said. "He doesn't work with anyone. You'd have a bigger chance of teaming up with the Heartless themselves."

"I'd rather work with the Heartless than with you!" you fumed, turning around. Your navy tresses flipped behind you as you headed back into the Castle Town.

"Riku, what did you do to that poor girl?" Aerith asked, her voice soft but slightly scolding.

"It's a long story, Aerith," he muttered.

oOo

"Vanitas, you lazy ass, come down here. You skipped the gathering today, and we have to help with the patrols, you know, the ones that happen every day?" you called, your hand on your hip.

At the moment, Vanitas was laying on a rooftop, his hands behind his head. His eyes were closed and he was studiously ignoring you.

"Vanitas," you called again.

"Go. Away." he said.

"No. I need a partner to patrol The Great Maw, so come on," you snapped. _What the hell am I doing, trying to get Vanitas of all people to work with me? Heaven knows he hates everyone._

"Look, I don't owe you or anyone else in this World a damn thing. Go make your rounds alone. Only a weakling couldn't handle the Heartless down there." he said, his tone sounding monotone and positively bored.

"You lazy, good for nothing, smart ass, punk!" you said, your lips set in a firm line. "Fine, I don't need your help. Forget I ever asked!" You summon your Keyblade, the (your favorite Keyblade.)

You turned around and stalked off, gripping its hilt tightly, remembering how Sora had given it to you. He'd acquired the Keychain during his travels, and though he'd been fond of it, it wasn't his beloved Kingdom Key. You had complimented him on it, and he'd just given it to you then and there.

"Here. Eqip this keychain to your Keyblade," he'd said, pressing it into your hand with a smile that was just so Sora.

"Really? Thank you," you said, sincerely.

"Sure! That's what friends are for," he'd said.

It had been with you ever since. Feeling determined now, you headed out to The Great Maw. _I'll patrol on my own. I'll do my part as one of the Key's Chosen. This is my world and I'm going to help protect it!_

As expected, you encountered Heartless along the way, but they weren't anything that couldn't be handled. Shadows and Soldiers, mostly. The Keyblade was still so new to you, just like Aerith had said. It wasn't just any ordinary sword. You wondered, for probably the tenth time, why you'd been chosen. You remembered the day it had happened like it was yesterday.

The Heartless had advanced into the Castle Town that day, and the Restoration Committee had jumped into action without a moment's hesitation. Fear gripped your heart, but you refused to see your home taken again without a fight, so you ran into the blacksmith's shop and yanked a slender sword from its mount on the wall. _I'll bring this back_ , you thought. The shop was empty, and you figured the owner had dashed outside to help the others. Gripping the sword tightly, you dashed outside.

Shadows swarmed the entire town, crawling all over houses, the paved ground, everything. Wyverns flew overhead, surrounded by Yellow Operas, who would occasionally get close enough to cast Thunder.

You gritted your teeth, swinging your borrowed blade at any Shadow you could reach. An Opera floated behind you silently, casting Thunder just as you brought your sword up to block the claws of a Shadow. The lightning struck you from behind, making you yelp in pain. "You'll pay for that," you cried, swinging your sword in a rather graceful arc for someone who had never wielded one before, and striking down both the Opera and the Shadow.

"Decided to join the show, did you?" said Lea, flinging his flamed Chakrams at a Wyvern before it could swoop down and attack with its signature kicks.

"Why wouldn't I?" you chirped, flashing him a grin.

"Just asking. I didn't know you could wield a sword," he said.

"Me neither," you murmured.

"Let's take them together," he said, moving beside you.

"'Kay," you said, raising your sword. Suddenly, it was enveloped in a bright Light. It was brilliant and beautiful and dazzling. The Light lingered for only an instant, and when it faded away, instead of the slender sword, you were holding a Keyblade. It was silver, simple, and light to hold. Your eyes bulged.

"Well, well, well," said Lea. "Look who just joined the club."

"A Keyblade?" you asked. "Why me?"

"It chose you," he answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "And we've got company," he said, readying his Chakrams.

"Um, right," you said, feeling very uncertain all of a sudden.

"What's wrong?" Lea asked, a smirk splayed on his face. "Just think of that thing as a glorified sword. Let's go."

"Right," you said. _Just a glorified sword. A legensary, powerful, glorified sword just chose me to be its wielder. No pressure there_ , you thought sarcastically as you stepped forward with Lea.

"Lea, Yuka!" called a voice.

"Yuffie," you called.

"Are you two okay?" she asked

"Psh, how helpless do you think we are?" Lea asked, sounding wounded.

"If you think you can handle things here, I'm going to go help Aerith and Leon. There are even more Heartless just outside of town." she called.

"I think we can manage. Tell Cid his so called security system sucks," Lea quipped.

"Sure," Yuffie said, waving her hand. "Just as soon as we clear these things out!"

A soldier began to follow Yuffie as she ran off, and made a move to attack her. "Oh, no you don't!" you shouted, flinging your Keyblade and striking down the creature in a perfect Strike Raid. "Gotcha!" you said, holding your hand out and catching your Keyblade neatly as it returned to you.

"Impressive," Lea said. "Let's go together."

"Right!" you said, stepping beside him.

The two of you attacked the Heartless in unison. One attacking, the other protecting, then switching. Your steps were perfectly timed with his, both your movements almost like dancing. _Why is this coming so naturally to me? This is so strange_ , you thought. _Is this what everyone calls a Limit? Lea and I have our own Limit!_ You instinctively move into the defensive position as Lea moves behind you.

"Let's finish this!" he shouts, his Chakrams spinning faster and hotter than ever. He throws them into the air, and upon striking the few remaining Heartless left, they explode. When the smoke clears and all is silent again, you are relieved to see his weapons are both fine.

"We make a good team," you tell him, very pleased.

"Yes. Once you get some training in, you'll be a force to be reckoned with," he said. "Just know that most of those Heartless were small fry. They were challenging only because of their numbers."

"Hey, I took down that Wyvern," you challenged.

"That you did. C'mon. Let's go check on the others.," he said.

You felt hideously guilty over not being able to return the sword to the blacksmith. You returned to his shop that evening and explained what had happened. He'd insisted no payment was necessary, but you wouldn't accept it. The sword had been beautifully crafted, and sharp as a razor. You could see a resemblance between it and your Keyblade, which made you feel even worse. You'd been told Sora's Keyblade had transformed a wooden toy sword. Couldn't yours have come from a stick or something?! You stubbornly insisted on him naming a price on the sword until he couldn't argue with you any longer. You'd happily made small payments to the kind man every week until you'd paid for the sword in full.

After that day, Leon had sent a message to Sora, beckoning him to come help them for a while. Of course, Sora had come immediately, bringing with him Riku and Kairi, as well as Terra, Ventus, and Aqua. You adored all six wielders, and became fast friends with them all.

Unfortunately, none of your new friends could think of a permanent solution to the World's plight. Even more unsettling was the fact that Xehanort had been vanquished and peace had returned to every other World your friend's had visited, except for this one.

The only solution: the daily patrols.

oOo

"Hey, guys?" said Kairi. "Has anyone seen Yuka? Riku said she didn't partner with him, and everyone's come back from their rounds except for her.."

"Damn it," said Roxas. "Did she go on her own? Crazy girl."

 _Surely she wouldn't do something so foolish,_ Vanitas thought. He sat on a high wall, unnoticed by the others, listening intently. _Idiot. What could she possibly have been thinking?_ He swore, jumped down from the wall, and set off to The Great Maw.

oOo

You gripped your Keyblade tightly. _I've git this! I can do this!_ You used what little Focus you had left on your last Shot Lock, focusing on the last ten Heartless. There had been so many, and you were hurting badly from being hit so many times. You gritted your teeth, unleashing your last attack. Your Lightwave Shot Lock wasn't as strong as you'd like it to be, and just a small one took a lot of Focus. This one was true, though, and your arrows of Light struck all of the remaining Heartless, extinguishing them. You wiped your forehead with the back of your hand, panting hard. _There...they're gone now...at least for today.._.You fell to your knees, just before your vision blurred, and the World went black.

"Gah! Damn it, Yuka, wake up!" called a voice, beckoning you back into consciousness. It was a very annoyed young man, from the sound of it.

His voice was so familiar, but your head hurt and your mind swam in dizziness you couldn't seem to clear. You heard the boy swear again, then strong arms lifted you. You could hear footsteps, and your body swayed along with them. _I'm being carried_ , you thought. You forced your heavy lids open and we're shocked to be looking up into Vanitas's angry eyes.

"Vanitas?" you murmured softly.

"What the hell were you thinking, huh? Coming out here alone." he snapped.

"You said only a weakling couldn't handle the Heartless here," you said.

"And you had your ass handed to you," he said.

"No, I defeated them." you argued.

"At nearly the cost of your life! Are you insane?! If someone told you only a weakling wouldn't survive jumping off a bridge, would you still do it?" he said, nearly shouting.

"No," you said. _Why did he come all the way out here for me? Did he like, hit his head or something?_ "Vanitas?" you said.

"What?" he asked gruffly.

"Thank you," you murmured, wrapping one arm around his neck and tucking one against his chest to steady yourself a bit.

"Don't read too much into it," he muttered, sounding miffed.

"Mhm," you agreed.

When you got back into the Castle Town, Aqua was the first to notice. "Yuka!" she cried. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," you said, trying to sound more lively. "I'm fine."

"What happened?" Riku said, storming over.

"I went and brought her back, what else?" said Vanitas.

"Yuka, I'm taking you home," Riku said, reaching for you.

"No, I'm fine," you protested. "Van, you can put me down."

"Don't think so," Vanitas said. "I doubt you could even stand."

"Which is why I should get her home," said Riku.

"Riku, it's okay," you reassured.

"But-" he began.

"What's the matter, Riku? Afraid she'd rather go home with me than with you?" said Vanitas, a wolfish grin on his face.

"No," said Riku, being the mature one as always. "It's whatever she wants. Yuka, I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for what I said before. You wouldn't have been in my way. I'm just so accustomed to fighting alone. I was wrong."

"I forgive you. I'm sorry, too. For being so ugly to you today." you said.

Aqua smiled. "Kairi was very worried about you, Yuka."

"Please tell her I'm ok, and that I'm sorry for making her worry," you said.

Aqua's expression grew stern as she looked up at Vanitas. "Get her home to rest."

"Don't presume to order me around, wench." Vanitas said, turning his back on her and walking away.

"Vanitas," you protested, smacking him lightly on his chest.

He didn't answer, and he only set you down once he had carried you all the way to your house, and into your bedroom. "Do not do that again." he ordered. "I won't go looking for you a second time."

"So come with me tomorrow," you said. "Then you won't need to. Come on, Van. It could be fun."

" _Fun?_ " he repeated.

"Yes. You always look so angry. Take some of that frustration out on the Heartless."

He glared down at you. "I have my reasons for being the way I am."

"I never said you didn't. It doesn't mean you need to exile yourself and endure everything all alone," you said. "Terra, Ven, and Aqua have each other. They all made mistakes they have to live with. Xehanort may be gone, but it can't be easy for them to see you, either."

"You know what happened eleven years ago." he said. It wasn't a question.

"I do," you said. "And it doesn't matter to me one bit, as long as you're not that person anymore."

"Hah, you're foolish if you think people really ever change." he said.

"Would the old Vanitas have gone to bring me back?" you challenged.

"Tch, maybe if there was something in it for him." he said, stalking out of your bedroom.

After he had gone, you had lain awake in your bed for a very long time. Just before you fell into sweet unconsciousness, your thoughts drifted to a pair of golden eyes who belonged to an afflicted young man, and how you could have sworn you had seen relief flash in those eyes when you awoke in his arms.


End file.
